Footsock

ABSTRACT

THERE IS DISCLOSED A FOODSOCK WHICH HAS A TOE PORTION, A HEEL PORTION AND A CENTRAL BODY PORTION INTRCONNECTING THE HEEL AND TOE PORTIONS. AN OPENING IS PROVIDED TO THE FOOTSOCK TO GIVE ACCESS THEREIN, WHICH OPENING EXTENDS ACROSS THE REARWARD PART OF THE CENTRAL BODY PORTION AND THE HEEL PORTION OF THE FOOTSOCK. THE HEEL PORTION OF THE FOOTSOCK IS FORMED WITH AN UPPER EXTENSION ADJACENT THE OPENING SO THAT THE OPENING IS GENERALLY SEMICIRCULAR AT ITS LOWER FORWARD PART AND TAPERS UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY THEREFROM. AN ELASTIC BANDING COMPLETELY ENCIRCLES THE OPENING, AND THE UPPER EXTENSION OF THE HEEL PORTION IS FOLDABLE OVER AN UNDERLYING ADJACENT PART OF THE HEEL PORTION SO THAT THE FOLDED-OVER PART WITH THE BANDING SUPPORTS THE FOOTSOCK IN DESIRED POSITION.

C. G. BURTON Feb. 16, 1971 FOOTSOCK Filed Jan. 24, 1969 1 INVENTOR CLARENCE G. BURTON BY fi gwb -lr ATTORNEYS United States Patent 01 lice 3,562,818 Patented Feb. 16, 1971 US. Cl. 2239 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed a footsock which has a toe portion, a heel portion and a central body portion interconnecting the heel and toe portions. An opening is provided to the footsock to give access therein, which opening extends across the rearward part of the central body portion and the heel portion of the footsock. The heel portion of the footsock is formed with an upper extension adjacent the opening so that the opening is generally semicircular at its lower forward part and tapers upwardly and rearwardly therefrom. An elastic banding completely encircles the opening, and the upper extension of the heel portion is foldable over an underlying adjacent part of the heel portion so that the folded-over part with the banding supports the footsock in desired position.

This invention relates to socks and is particularly con cerned with the provision of a so-called footsock or tab sock of the type which can be worn by a user with the major portion thereof disposed inside a shoe so as to be substantially covered thereby.

Footstocks of the above-described type have found widespread use in recent years particularly by ladies participating in athletic events. However, it has been found that merely a low-cut sock is insuflicient to serve its intended purpose because the sock tends to slip down inside the shoe unless some means is provided to keep the heel portion thereof outside of the shoe. As a result, there have been various suggestions as to the manner in which some means can be utilized at the heel portion to keep the same from downward slippage.

The prior suggestions along this line appear to involve the use of some extra element or additional member secured to the sock which essentially serves as a stop or abutment cooperating basically with the heel portion only. Thus, the prior suggestions to satisfy this problem have either resulted in a complex arrangement and/or have resulted in the need to attach some additional member to the sock. Moreover, the concept of the prior suggestions appears to concern only the heel portion rather than the overall support of the sock and/or for the stop member.

A primary object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages associated with prior art footsocks and to provide a footsock which can be easily formed and wherein there is cooperation between the stop provided thereby and the remainder of the sock itself, thus effectively providing significant reinforcement of the stop.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a footsock which comprises an integrally knit sleeve-type member with a toe portion, a heel portion and a connecting body portion, which footsock has an opening therein, and which footsock has a banding around the opening. Even further, it is an object to provide such a footsock wherein the heel portion has an upper part or upstanding extension which is adapted to be folded over and which cooperates with the banding so that, when folded over, there is reinforcement of the folded-over stop portion by the remainder of the footsock itself.

The invention resides in the combination and arrangement of various portions and parts of the footsock as will be apparent after considering the following detailed description of the invention. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings, presenting a preferred and illustrative embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a footsock constructed in accordance herewith;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the footsock shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 presenting in solid line the heel portion in its upstanding position and in dotted line the heel portion in its folded-over position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmental view of the toe portion of a footsock constructed in accordance herewith; and,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmental view of the rear lower portion of a footsock constructed in accordance herewith.

If reference is first made to FIG. 1, it will be noted that the footsock, generally designated 10, shown therein, is in its position of intended use. This footsock comprises a tubular body generally designated 12 having an opening 14 therein. The opening is adapted to receive the foot of a wearer therethrough to provide access to the interior of the footsock.

The tubular body 12 includes a toe portion 16, a heel portion 18 and a. central body portion 20. The central body portion 20 is disposed in connecting relation between the toe and heel portions and the opening 14 is disposed toward the rear of the central portion 20 and about the upper part of the heel portion 18. As best shown by FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the toe, heel and central portions are integrally knitted so as to provide a continuous body. Seams and/or darts 24 and 26 are provided in the toe portion so as to properly shape the same in conventional manner and a dart 30 of conventional type is provided in the heel portion so as to properly shape the heel portion.

The entire unit is knit, and in this regard, it is to be noted that the knitted stitching is continuous along the central portion of the footsock from the toe portion throughout the heel portion with the shift in directions merely being provided at the area of the darts and/or seams as above-described.

The heel portion 18 has an upper part 31 which is adapted to be folded over an underlying part of the heel portion. This upper part 31, as shown in FIG. 2, extends above the central body portion in the normal or nonfolded over disposition of the upper part 31. The opening 14, as also best shown in FIG. 2, has a generally semicircular lower part 14a and an upwardly and rearwardly tapering upper part 14b with the upper part extending along the upper part of the heel portion. Continuously disposed about the opening 14 is an elastic banding 40 joined to the sock about the opening in any suitable manner as by link stitches 42. With the elastic banding secured about the periphery of the opening, the banding assumes the same contour as the opening, that is, it has a generally circular lower portion and a generally upwardly and rearwardly tapering upper portion, thus defining the normal opening for the foot.

However, and of utmost important, is the fact that the upper portion 31 or extension of the heel portion 18 can be folded over upon itself as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 2. When so folded over, the banding is disposed below the upper edge of the heel portion so that the banding extends about the part of the opening and the body portion or central portion 20 and then around the free edge of the upper folded-over part of the heel portion 18 with the heel portion 18 then having a nonbanded upper edge formed by the fold.

In essence, the banding 40 assumes a generally and 3 sidewise S-shape when the upper portion 31 of the heel portion 18 is folded over and the banding thus provides a reinforcement for the free folded-over edge which reinforcement cooperates with the central body portion 20 by virture of the connection therewith.

The folded-over portion 31 in association with its underlying adjacent portion of the heel portion 18 provides a stop at the rear of the footsock so that when the item is used by a wearer, there is effectively no way for the rear portion of the footsock to slip down in the shoe. Yet, the entire construction is continuous and no attachments, as such, are utilized for the stop. There is thus a continuous footsock, in the sense of an integrally formed footsock and there is further the reinforcement provided by the elastic banding which cooperates with the central body portion thereby yielding an effective stop as required.

Having now described an illustrative and preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be apparent that the objects set forth at the outset tof the present specification have been successfully achieved.

Accordingly, what is claimed is:

1. A footsock adapted to be worn inside a shoe and to be substantially covered thereby comprising:

(a) a one-piece tubular body having an opening therein adapted to receive the foot of the wearer therethrough to provide access to the interior thereof, said tubular body including a toe portion, a heel portion and a body portion connecting said toe and heel portion, said opening being disposed along an edge on said body and heel portion;

(b) said heel portion having an upper part adapted to be folded over an underlying part of said heel portion;

(c) said opening having a generally semicircular lower part and an upwardly and rearwardly tapering upper part along said upper part of said heel portion; and

(d) an elastic banding secured about the entire periphery of said opening, with said banding being disposed below the upper edge of said heel portion when said upper part of said heel portion is folded over,

whereby said banding extends about the part of the opening in said body portion and then around the free edge of the upper folded over part of said heel portion with said heel portion having a non-banded upper edge when said upper part of said heel portion is folded over.

2. A footsock as defined in claim 1, wherein said toe portion, heel portion, and body portion of said tubular body are integrally knitted to provide a continuous body.

3. A footsock as defined in claim 1, wherein said banding, when said upper part of said heel portion is folded over, assumes a generally sidewise S-shape.

4. A footsock as defined in claim 3, further including darts provided in the region of said heel and toe portions for contour shaping said tubular body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,771,691 11/1956 Luchs 3610 3,130,566 4/1964; Chesebro 2239X 3,289,329 12/1966 Weiss 261X PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 3610 

